1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chest exerciser, more particularly to a chest exerciser which provides combined bending and pulling exercise functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional chest exerciser 1 which includes a pair of handles 101 and a connecting spring 102 interconnecting the handles 101. To exercise a person""s arms, the person grips the handles 101 and exerts a force against restoring force of the spring 102, for bending the spring 102 and for moving the handles 101 closer to each other. The spring 102 thus supplies a resisting force to resist the bending action of the exerciser. FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional chest pull 2 which includes a pair of handles 201 and a plurality of extension springs 202 extending between the handles 201. To perform a chest-expanding exercise, a person grips the handles 202 and exerts a pulling force for pulling the handles 202 in opposite directions away from each other, against restoring force of the extension springs 202. The extension springs 202 thus supply a resisting force to resist the pulling action of the exerciser.
However, each of the aforementioned chest exerciser 1 and chest pull 2 can only perform a single exercise mode, i.e., the bending exercise mode or the pulling exercise mode. Moreover, the resisting forces supplied by the springs 102, 202 are not adjustable to suit different persons who require different amounts of exercise.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a combined pulling and bending chest exerciser which provides combined bending and pulling exercise functions.
Accordingly, the chest exerciser of the present invention includes a hollow seat and a pair of lever members. The hollow seat has front and rear ends, top and bottom walls extending between the front and rear ends, and curved left and right side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls and extending between the front and rear ends. Each of the side walls has a horizontally extending slide groove formed therethrough and extending therealong. The slide groove has a front groove end proximate to the front end of the hollow seat, and a rear groove end proximate to the rear end of the hollow seat. Each of the side walls has an outer wall surface opposite to the other one of the side walls. Each of the lever members includes an inner shaft which has a pivot end extending through the slide groove in a respective one of the side walls of the hollow seat and connected pivotally to the hollow seat for pivoting about a vertical pivot axis transverse to the top and bottom walls, an outer tube sleeved co-axially on the inner shaft and having an abutment end abutting against the outer wall surface of the respective one of the side walls of the hollow seat, and a resistance unit for providing resistance to relative axial movement between the inner shaft and the outer tube. The outer wall surface of each of the side walls of the hollow seat is defined by a curve, wherein points on the curve increase in distance relative to the pivot axis of a respective one of the lever members from the rear groove end to the front groove end. The outer tube of each of the lever members is operable for moving relative to the inner shaft in an axial direction away from the hollow seat against action of the resistance unit. The outer tube of each of the lever members is further operable for moving the inner shaft pivotally about the pivot axis to enable the inner shaft to slide along the slide groove in the respective one of the side walls from the rear groove end toward the front groove end, thereby enabling the outer wall surface of the respective one of the side walls to push the abutment end of the outer tube for moving the outer tube axially relative to the inner shaft against the action of the resistance unit.